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El Torito
Japanified Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant. Lunch menu and kids menu all day is cheap. Also has a cocktail bar that heavily features Bacardi. Owned by the same umbrella group that owns Coco's and Takarajima. The menu features classic Mexican food like enchiladas, tacos, and burritos, and Tex-Mex fare like fajitas. There is a daily lunch special and kids' menu. If you have a party or group, there are course meals as well. The menu has full-color photographs and English-language names for dishes but not descriptions. The full menu can be found on the El Torito website (click items on the left side panel for different categories of food). The salsa (pleasantly spicy) and guacamole (represented in the menu as "gakkamole") are good but you won't get more than a single small scoop. This may be a little different for Westerners used to getting nearly unlimited amounts of salsa and chips. The tortillas in their crispy tacos are airy and crisp, which is different than you'd get in Tijuana or the U.S., but they're tasty anyway. Other menu items include tortilla soup, arroz con pollo or con mariscos, grilled meats, chorizo, and Mexican potatoes, and non-exactly-Mexican-but-tasty-nonetheless bites, like chicken fingers or omu-rice. There are appetizer items like avocado and cream cheese wrapped in pastry and fried. With table-side guacamole, you get fresh ingredients presented with a molcajete or mortar and pestle. The soup bar typically has consommé-style soups without too many ingredients. They're simple but not too bad! The soup bar is included in lunch specials. Drink bar is included in kids' meals and available as an add-on on regular meals. It features drinks typical of fami-resu ''(family restaurant), including melon soda, Calpis, and orange squash. Kids' Menu The kids get little trays with fruit gelatin, entrée choice, and side items like potato wedge french fries and a ramekin of vegetables, plus they can choose something from the drink bar. Entrée choices include cheese quesadillas and kid-sized burritos. Location * 2-16-4 Amakubo, on the east side of Higashi Odori near IACE and Tsukuba Botanical Garden Contact ''Phone: '' 029-850-2012 ''Address: 2 Chome-16-4 Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan 305-0005 Reviews * Chain mexican food, not really the best. They don't sell tortillas al la carte. High price and really small portions. -- Anonymous Reviewer * Fresh tortillas, fresh salsa that really is hard to beat, and a good selection of mexican beers and tequilla. The flavor does fall short of "real" mexican food (hey, this is Japan after all!), but it is well worth the money when you just have to have a mexican "fix". The portions are a bit smaller than you will find in the US, and there is no choice but beef in many items (no chicken chimi's). That being said, you'll still find me there several times a month ;>) --Alex USA 06:27, 27 September 2006 (UTC) * Not bad for Japanese-Mexican. I love that there were giant fresh avocados in all my dishes. Good seasoning, Japanese-sized portions. --- Anonymous Reviewer Links * El Torito * El Torito full menu (click categories in left-hand panel) * El Torito Tsukuba Facebook Page * Tabelog reviews